STARKVILLE, Miss. – For the second time this season, Mississippi State track and field will make the short trip east to Tuscaloosa as Alabama hosts the 2014 Border Clash on April 11.

Teams joining the Bulldogs at the showdown at Sam Bailey Track and Field Stadium include Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Samford and Southern Mississippi.

On the men’s side, the Tide enter the meet ranked ninth in the nation, while in-state rival Ole Miss comes in at No. 13.

The Maroon and White men stand at No. 29 overall, boasting two ranked hurdlers, junior Javon Davis (No. 17) and sophomore Scottie Hearn(No. 16). The Bulldog 4x400-meter relay team also comes in at No. 12 after Hearn, Alistair Moona, Dustin James II and Brandon McBride clocked a 3:07.66 at Texas Relays.

Coach Steve Dudley’s women enter the Border Clash at No. 34. After being crowned this year’s SEC Indoor long jump champion, senior Rochelle Farquharson is the nation’s 12th-best long jumper, donning a season-best 20-05.00 set at Texas Relays. Junior Emma Neigelranks 20th in the 3000-meter steeplechase (10:19.70) after competing in the event for the first time last weekend at Battle on the Bayou.

Teams from the Magnolia State will combine their collective points in a Team Alabama vs. Team Mississippi meet format. Individual events will use a 5-3-2-1 scoring system, while relay events will be scored 5-3. Only two individual entries per state shall score, and only one relay entry per state will score.

MSU expects to contribute heavily in points as it totals six athletes ranked in the top 25, according to U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

“We’ve had a successful season so far, but you can never get complacent,” Dudley said. “I always tell the athletes that to be competitive, you have to constantly be better tomorrow than you were today. Traveling to Tuscaloosa will give us not only the opportunity to get more track time under our feet, but also the chance to compete against some premier athletes.”

The meet will feature 19 men’s and women’s events and is slated to begin on Friday at 11 a.m. with field events. Running events will start at 5 p.m., and competition is scheduled to conclude around 8:40 p.m.